Council of Stars
by altias
Summary: BirchClan and GlenClan have been at peace for seasons, but even the oldest trees have rotten branches; one cat decides to find out where the danger and power really lies. T for safety. Traditional naming (and OCs) within.
1. Allegiances

**Hi! Thanks for clicking in. I'm no expert story writer, but the idea I had was good enough that I was thoroughly persuaded to write it. With any luck, I'll be able to finish it.**

**As this is traditional, the prefixes fit the pelt and the suffixes shine some light on what they're skilled at or what notable traits they have. I generally mean what I type in terms of name here - for example, Brambling- is different than Bramble-, since brambing- represents the type of bird.**

**Information on Traditional Naming can be found on Ailuronymy's blog on Tumblr; and no, I don't take character requests! I appreciate the thought, though.**

**BirchClan**

/ This Clan is nestled on a slope, interwoven with three small brooks (one in the east and two in the west that intertwine near the northernmost slopes) among birch trees; oak trees are also somewhat uncommon. The camp is hidden in a small ditch/ravine. Common skills are hunting and climbing. Though not usually sturdily built, these cats tend to have muscular legs and long, agile bodies, perfect for hiding in dips-in-the-earth. The common pelt colors are usually darker pelts, typically torties and tabbies, and rarely patched cats.

**GlenClan**

/ This Clan lives in a small, narrow 'valley' below the first one, though trees litter the slopes to either side. The creeks (at this point, just the two, since two connect near the mouth) create a 'gutter' on either side of it, serving as a sort of visual border. Common skills are agility (speed) and tracking. Their bodies are usually lean and long-legged, and their pelts are lighter in coloration, typically with a large amount of white spotting or dilute variations of darker colors ('fawn' and grey, for example). Tabby is rare, while dilute torties aren't too uncommon.

The two Clans meet up monthly near the edge of the woods at a rocky outcropping. Two larger stones (slanted, pushed deep in the ground) allow leaders to step up and speak. Cats may sit around the outcrop haphazardly, and after so many seasons, a dip has been created in the earth around the rocks that makes the leaders appear to be higher up than they really are.

**/ BIRCHCLAN ALLEGIANCES /**

**LEADER ::**

ASPHODELSTAR / / _Long-furred ginger tom with copper eyes. _

**DEPUTY ::**

RUSSET-TAIL / / _Short-furred dark ginger she-cat with copper eyes. _

**MEDICINE CAT ::**

ROBINCLOUD / / _Brown-and-ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with short fur and white paws. _

_APPRENTICE: MAPLEPAW_

**WARRIORS ::**

FOXWHISKER / / _Long-furred ginger tom with copper eyes, white paws, and a white locket marking. _

_APPRENTICE: BATPAW_

BRAMBLINGCLOUD / / _Short-furred black-and-ginger tortie she-cat with hazel eyes. _

_APPRENTICE: STARLINGPAW_

IVYTAIL / _/ Long-furred, dark-gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes, white toes and a white locket marking_.

SMOKESTRIPE / / _Long-furred gray tabby tom with yellow eyes, white underbelly, and notable dark stripes. _

RATPELT / / _Short and black-furred tom with pale green eyes and a white underbelly._

BRIARFANG / / _Short-furred light brown tabby tom with amber eyes. _

ROACHNOSE / / _Gray (dfab) they-cat with yellow eyes and a white underbelly. _

_APPRENTICE: NEWTPAW_

MOTH-HEART / / _Gray-brown tabby tom with pale green eyes, a pale cream belly, and long fur. Tabby stripes are notably dark in contrast to his pelt._

**APPRENTICES ::**

NEWTPAW / / _Long-furred black tortie she-cat with copper eyes. _

MAPLEPAW / / _Long-furred ginger tom with a white locket and copper eyes. _

STARLINGPAW / / _Short and black-furred tom with white toes and orange eyes._

BATPAW / / _Short-furred dark gray tabby with amber eyes. _

**QUEENS ::**

ROWANCLAW / / _Short-furred dark ginger she-cat with green eyes._

MINNOW-WHISKER / / _Short-furred dark gray she-cat with pale green eyes. _

_Kits:_

_PIDGEONKIT / Blue-gray short-furred tom with a white muzzle._

_SYCAMOREKIT / Dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with short fur and a white locket marking. _

**ELDERS :: **

GOOSEFACE / / _Particularly attractive long-furred gray tabby tom with orange eyes and a white underbelly. _

STORMFUR / / _Dark gray short-furred tom with a crooked tooth and orange eyes._

**/ GLENCLAN ALLEGIANCES /**

**LEADER ::**

SWANSTAR / / _Short and white-furred she-cat with pale green eyes. _

**DEPUTY ::**

PALEFOOT / / _Light gray tom with a white underbelly and yellow eyes. _

**MEDICINE CAT ::**

CHERVIL-LEAF / / _White-pelted, short-furred tom with yellow eyes. _

_APPRENTICE: HEATHERPAW_

**WARRIORS ::**

MINTNOSE / /_ Pale gray tabby she-cat with short fur, pale green eyes, and a white underbelly. _

DAISYFUR / _Light ginger tom with long fur and orange eyes. _

LIGHTCLOUD / / _White-pelted she-cat with short fur and yellow eyes. _

_APPRENTICE: CLOVERPAW_

SYCAMOREFOOT / / _Short-furred dilute tortie with pale green eyes and a large, notable scar-patch along her right thigh._

SNOWNOSE / / _White tom with blue eyes and deafness in both ears. _

ASHNOSE / / _Light gray tom with short fur, faint stripes, and orange eyes. _

DOVEHEART / / _Light gray-brown she-cat with short fur and orange eyes_

MISTSTREAM / _Light gray tom with long fur and blue eyes. / Created by Rook per my own request._

**APPRENTICES ::**

HEATHERPAW / /_ Light ginger she-cat with short fur and copper eyes. _

CLOVERPAW / / _White-furred tom with short fur and orange eyes. _

**QUEENS ::**

GOLDENFOOT / / _Light ginger she-cat with short fur and orange eyes_.

BRIGHTNOSE / / _White-furred she-cat with ginger patches, short fur, and green eyes._

**ELDERS ::**

FROSTPELT / / _White-furred tom with long fur and orange eyes. Has cataracts._

CHERRYFOOT / / _Calico she-cat with 70% white markings and ginger/black tortie markings. Has short fur and green eyes. Walks with a limp._


	2. Prologue

Sprouts reach towards the springtime sky. Grass grows and birds scatter seeds all about. The sprouts grow into saplings, and saplings into large oak trees, gnarled roots sinking into the very foundations of the land.

And like a sprout that turns to a strong oak, the Clans have grown to be formidable forces, allied against a cold world. Little to upset the balance of the traditional ways of the nest and nursery, and little to uproot their home.

They would never expect that someone's pulling the strings and watering the roots, with watchful eye and careful pawsteps.

Rotten branches must be trimmed for the tree to grow.


	3. Chapter 1 - A Ceremony!

The soft sound of breathing and the smell of cats. The rustling of leaves in the leafy tree boughs overhead. The scent of dew on the wind as the dawn grew closer.

These were things experienced by a small tortoiseshell kitten, nestled away in the nursery with her brother and mother, as well as another queen tucked away somewhere further in the den. Her mother readjusted herself lightly, noting her kit's awakening, and looked down at the sleepy tortie kitten with her soft hazel eyes.

"The dawn patrols should be going out soon," Bramblingcloud remarked, yawning with an open maw that revealed yellowed fangs. "And your father will be coming back from the midnight patrol." She leaned down to sniff the fur of her other kit, a ginger tom that was still nestled up next to his mother in silence, save for light breathing.

The tortie kitten said nothing to Bramblingcloud in return, and instead looked out of the den with an intrigued look as she scooted closer to the peaceful queen. The night always intrigued Newtkit - as it should, with its mysterious aura and dormant prey-animals. She was growing closer to apprentice age - along with her brother, Maplekit, who had already revealed his interest in herblore. Her mother would often joke about her getting lost in the territory once she'd been apprenticed, to which Newtkit would stick her tongue out and say otherwise. Maplekit, on the other paw, seemed much more inclined to stay in the same place for stretches of time.

Newtkit closed her eyes a moment, but when she opened them once more, she found that she had fallen asleep until the light of dawn had seeped into the sky from its brighter horizons. Stars flickered out in the sky as the sun woke itself from its slumber, and the sounds of leaves rustling on the wind could be heard outside the shaded den.

However, she knew something was going on during the peaceful morning when her mother was called out by another cat; the scent revealed the visitor to be Roachnose, the curious gray-furred they-cat who had popped occasionally to check in on Bramblingcloud. As her mother left the two of her kits in the nest, Maplekit gave a squeak and stretched himself out sleepily, giving a drowsy look to his sister, who looked upon him with interest.

"Good morning, moss-for-brains," Newtkit mewed, giving her sibling a playful grin. "Momma's out talking to Roachnose, I think."

The red-furred tom rolled around before sitting up next to his sister, his copper eyes reflecting some of the light from the morning sky. "Whadda they want?" he asked, still a bit groggy from his deep sleep. "Is somethin' wrong with Foxwhisker? Did the patrol go bad?"

She shook her head before looking back towards the entrance. "I don't think so. Foxwhisker should be back soon, though..."

And just as Newtkit finished saying so, Bramblingcloud had finally returned to the nursery, a pleasant smile on her muzzle as she brushed past the bracken-laden entrance and nuzzled the newly-awakened Maplekit. "I've got good news for you, kits," she meowed, beaming with a quiet pride at her children. "Your apprentice ceremonies are going to be held this morning!"

Newtkit could barely hold her emotional reaction back; she jumped up a little, purring at the news. "We get to be real warriors!" she meowed, kneading her paws on the mossy bed. "I bet it's going to be really fun. Though you'll be a medicine cat, right, Maplekit?"

He shuffled his paws a little. "Only if Robincloud lets me. I hope she does, though." As the resident medicine cat, Robincloud would have to approve him before he'd be able to think about it. He couldn't help but smile, however, when his sister stood up and gave his shoulder a supportive headbutt.

"Ah - am I hearing that right?" A sleepy voice, belonging to the young warrior Minnow-whisker, could be heard as the other queen stood and stretched her limber frame. She padded over softly and sat next to the other queen, looking at her with an overjoyed expression. "I'm sure they'll make fine Clanmates. You must be very proud of them, Bramblingcloud."

This comment made Bramblingcloud's grin widen, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Roachnose poked their head back into the nursery. "The meeting's starting," they said, with just a touch of excitement in their tone. "I'll see you out there - good luck, kittens!" With that, they withdrew from the den and started on their way to the Highstone.

Newtkit felt a touch of embarrassment at that remark - they were turning into apprentices, after all! They weren't little kits anymore, and they'd be learning things soon enough. It didn't seem to phase Maplekit, though, who trotted out after their mother with a casual look about him; Newtkit got up and followed shortly after them, not wishing to be left behind.

The Clan had already started gathering around the Highstone, which was wedged neatly into the ridge that protected the Clan from intruders from the north. Newtkit stumbled after her family and seated herself next to the nervous Maplekit, who had placed himself himself (along with Bramblingcloud) near the very front of the crowd.

Looking about, Newtkit could recognize most of the faces of the cats around her. She spotted young Ivytail, who had proven herself to be quite opposed to a game of catchtail, and Briarfang, who quietly kept himself on the edge of the group. She could even spot Starlingpaw and Batpaw, who were nearing warriorship; the siblings were only a moon away from being considered, and Newtkit found herself a little envious of them. Looking over at Maplekit, she wondered whether the two of them would have the same close friendship after he became the medicine cat's apprentice.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when Asphodelstar stood up on the Highstone, his long, ginger fur colored a cooler shade thanks to the shadows from the trees around the camp. He motioned for silence, bowing his head respectfully before starting his speech.

"As you know, the past moon has been especially kind to BirchClan. Greenleaf could scarcely be better for us. Prey has been plentiful and our own Minnow-whisker has given birth to two beautiful kits." Scattered remarks of congratulations could be heard in the crowd before Asphodelstar continued. "And our own Bramblingcloud has given us two fine kits, ready to become apprentices and learn the ways of our Clan. Maplekit, Newtkit, step forward."

Newtkit held her breath in anticipation as the two kits stepped up to the rock, looking up at the leader in awe as his eyes searched her for something she couldn't quite place.

"Newtkit, do you swear your life by our Code, protecting our Clan by learning our secrets and techniques for the seasons to come?"

Her hesitation was natural, but she only did so for a moment before replying with confidence. "I do."

"Then, with the powers of our StarClan ancestors, I name you Newtpaw. You will be mentored by Roachnose, in hopes that their skill in tracking and observant behavior will pass unto you. Touch noses with them."

She hadn't noticed that Roachnose had been sitting near the front as well, but kept herself still until Roachnose themself had approached and touched noses; Newtpaw met the they-cat halfway, and the Clan could be heard cheering. She felt incredibly exhilarated by the experience as she stepped back next to her brother, who, she supposed, would be named next.

"Maplekit, step forward." Asphodelstar didn't miss a beat as he called for Newtkit's brother, who looked rather anxious.

The ginger tom stepped forward, looking fearful, but expectant of what was to come. He eyed Robincloud with worry, who had moved herself closer to the leader's pedestal for this ceremony. This time, it was she who spoke, her brown-and-ginger tortie pelt blending with the paw-worn earth below.

"Do you swear by our Code, and our lives given to us by the Clan, to serve for your Clanmates for the seasons to come?" Her voice, though quiet, was notably rough, in contrast to her casual, smoother way of speaking.

He paused a moment longer than his sister, but was able to spit out his response hastily. "I... I do."

"Then tonight we will go to the Mooncave and share tongues with our ancestors." The medicine cat's facial features seemed weary, from Newtpaw's perspective, as the molly stepped back; this was peculiar, as Robincloud was still fairly young, but she dismissed the feeling as the Clan erupted in more cheering for the new apprentices.

"Meeting dismissed." And, aside to his deputy, Asphodelstar meowed, "Don't forget to set up the dawn patrol. I was out for the midnight patrol and I'd appreciate the rest."

Newtpaw couldn't catch what Russet-tail's response was, but a glance to the side revealed her brother padding over to greet his mentor; it really hit her, now, that he would be going into something that she would have no connection with. He would be taking part in the most important and sacred Clan activities, keeping up with injured cats and receiving signs from StarClan in the forms of dreams - or at least, that's what's been said for more seasons than one could count on all four paws.

Shaking off this feeling of being lost, she sought out Roachnose once more to ask about training.


	4. Chapter 2 - A Story

After some searching, Newtpaw found her new mentor seated, still, in front of the dispersing crowd. They seemed a bit distracted, but snapped to attention as Newtpaw prodded her newly-assigned mentor with her left paw. The they-cat blinked with alarm, but relaxed as they realized who had poked her.

"If it's about training, we start at dusk." The gray-furred cat gave a careful tongue-swipe to their paw before returning their gaze to Newtpaw. "You're free to go sniff around the apprentice's den for now, though. I'm sure Batpaw and Starlingpaw would like to help you find a nest and get settled in."

Newtpaw thought it to be unlikely, though she dismissed the feeling, concluding that the worst that would happen would be that they'd say nothing to her. Her eager paws led her to the apprentice's den without hesitation, though she stopped right before the entrance. As it was nestled among a patch of brambles, the pathway seemed almost menacing to her as she approached, thorns pointed every which way. The fear lasted only for a moment before she heard a voice from inside.

"Starlingpaw, _you_ do it this time."

"I don't think it's _my_ turn to do it, though..."

"I did it _last_ time, didn't I? So it's _your _turn."

The bickering voices of the siblings Batpaw and Starlingpaw greeted Newtpaw's black-furred ears as she paused at the thorny opening. Would it be wise to walk in? She stepped forward cautiously, leaning down slightly to fit through the entrance as she shuffled into the den.

The other dark-furred apprentices could be seen near the back of the den. Batpaw was sitting up, one paw poised above the head of young Starlingpaw, who was crouched down with his tail weakly wrapping around his hindquarters. Seeing this as a chance to get some-cat else to do her job, Batpaw looked to the new apprentice, lowered her foreleg and turned to Newtpaw with a devious expression.

"Oh, _hey_ there, _softpaw_," the she-cat meowed, trying to act sweet to the cat that had already seen her actions against Starlingpaw. Not that 'softpaw' was much of a compliment, Newtpaw thought, snorting a little at the remark. Disregarding the small apprentice's disruption, Batpaw continued. "Do you wanna do a favor for Starlingpaw?"

"I didn't ask -" Starlingpaw's poor snout was swatted with a paw mid-sentence, stopping him before he could intervene.

His sister quickly looked back to Newtpaw, resuming her innocent facade. "Starlingpaw's been tasked with bringing some prey to the elders and seeing if they need anything." She gave a smile, though the tortie wasn't sure whether it was really genuine. "Be a dear and do that for me.. I mean, uh, him." With a chuckle, she motioned towards the entrance with her right forepaw gently. "Thanks, sweetie."

Feeling a bit frightened of the other she-cat, Newtpaw backed out of the den; on one paw, she didn't really have to check up, but on the other, she'd rather save Starlingpaw another smack across the muzzle from his rude sister. Giving a sigh, she made her way to the prey pile and picked up a few pieces of freshkill before wandering over to the elder's den.

Upon arrival at the elder's den, she noted that only one of the elders was awake and about; Gooseface, who was said to be notably attractive in his youth, was sitting by the stump with a bored expression. Upon spotting the approaching Newtpaw, he gave a wave of his tail and waited for her to come into hearing range.

"Good hunting, Newtkit." He spoke with a courteous tone. "I didn't know they sent kittens to do apprentice duties."

Newtpaw huffed a little as she placed the freshkill at his paws. "You've got it wrong, Gooseface!" she meowed, feigning annoyance. "I'm an apprentice now. I'm Newtpaw!"

The tom looked delighted to hear about this news - the tortie she-cat assumed he had been asleep for the duration of the meeting. "So I assume that means your dear old brother Maplekit is Maplepaw now?"

"Yeah, and he's the medicine cat's apprentice, too." She tried not to look too proud. "Robincloud was alright with it, and I'm glad for him."

The tom sighed. "It's a shame he can't share what he sees in dreams with you," he remarked, "but I'm sure he'll be busy for his first moons of training. I hear it's hard to be a medicine cat apprentice."

Newtpaw's tongue stuck out in a childish way. "I'm sure he'll do fine." She glanced over at the vinca patch that covered the medicine cat's den. "Though... I _am_ a little worried..."

This caused Gooseface to wheeze out a laugh. "No reason to be. Medicine cats have been around for seasons, and they learn how to do their job right so they can prevent any accidents." He looked up at the sky, which was now a pale light blue, patched with clouds that drifted across from the west. "I know Stormfur would tell you the same, were he awake... but I'm sure he'd also tell you you're a leaf-eater, if I know him well." Another bought of laughter brought him to coughing, but he recovered before Newtpaw thought to call for Robincloud.

The tom resumed his rambling. "Anyhow. Between you and me, Newtkit..." She gave him an irritated face, but he continued. "I think they're the ones who do the most for the Clan. Injured? Medicine cat. Have a hard denial after asking a cat out? Medicine cat'll sort you out. Have an argument with a badger? Medicine cat." He leaned back, allowing Newtpaw to get a word in.

She shook her head at the elder disagreeably. "Yeah, they're great and all, but the leader does things too! And the deputy." She jumped up from her sitting position, tail upright as if challenging the tom. "The Clan works _together_. Asphodelstar works hard to keep the patrols up, and I know Russet-tail worries her fur off over problems relating to her Clanmates."

The rumbling voice of Stormfur could be heard from his seat behind the stump. "Harrumph. I'm sure the medicine cats could do that, too, methinks." His head peeked above the old tree-trunk, revealing his orange eyes. "I don't know if they could _really_ handle it, but it'd be somethin' to see."

"Now just you wait there..." Gooseface wheezed, turning to the other tom. "You know as well as I do that the medicine cats do what they can. I'm sure with a bit of training they could take over if the leader and deputy disappeared."

Newtpaw interjected. "Well, uh, that's great and all, but do you think they're all that unreliable?" She seemed a bit uneasy with this train of thought, but she continued further anyhow. "I mean, I know Maplepaw could do a lot of things with his new connection to StarClan..."

Gooseface turned himself towards the apprentice again. "That reminds me of a story," he started, ignoring the faint look of dread on Newtpaw's face as he said so. "There was a time when there was a drought. That's when there's no water flowing in the creeks, and when the sun is its most heated state. It was the hottest greenleaf any cat had ever experienced.

"So the Clans started to doubt their ancestors. There were those who said they were being vengeful for something the Clans had done in the past. There was unrest between our two Clans, and we fought often. The medicine cat, however, was said to receive a vision... a vision of the upstream river, closed up by something unknown to her.

"It's said that this she-cat... Burnetheart, if memory serves... went upriver and found her ancestors near a large blockage in the river. She said, 'O great ethereal ancestors, why does this lie in the way of our riverbeds?' And the starry cats replied, 'O finite feline, it's not our fault - the branches fell in after the last storm and collected dirt, causing this stoppage.' So with that, they gave her the power of endurance and strength enough for ten cats so she could clear the way.

"When she returned, she was hailed as a hero - the medicine cat herself! And there was a celebration when the rivers ran clear and cool through the forest and valley. And so it goes that StarClan's more than capable of giving medicine cats power." Gooseface finished his story, looking as if he'd snapped out of his storytelling trance, and looked down at the young Newtpaw - who, he was happy to see, had not fallen asleep mid-story. However, she seemed unfocused, eyes fixated on the medicine cat's den.

Stormfur gave a groan after a moment. "So are you done now? I had my ears covered and didn't realize you'd stopped."

Gooseface gave Stormfur a sour look. "You don't appreciate my stories, but that's okay, because I can tell them to someone else. Like little Newtkit here. There's another story that I remember..."

Newtpaw shuffled her paws a bit before giving an excuse to leave. With her visit done, she decided it would be best to get a nice, long nap in before her training at dusk, and headed back to the apprentice's den.


	5. Chapter 3 - A Patrol

The day passed by at a leisurely pace. After taking time to snack on something before she took her day-nap, Newtpaw had went to check on her brother - though, to her surprise, he wasn't in the medicine cat's den at all, and neither was Robincloud. Twitching her whiskers, she turned around and headed back into the apprentice's den to catch a nap.

And thankfully for her, Batpaw and Starlingpaw were both out training. She was able to get the peace and quiet needed for any sort of resting activity.

So, she slept.

Her sleep descended upon her like a dark blanket; one could almost imagine stars in the fake night. She imagined the smell of leafy litter on the ground about her, wind brushing past her black-and-ginger fur, yet she still could not see around her.

The sound of running paws thudding against the hardened leaf-fall soil could be sensed somewhere to the south of where she stood. She knew this cat was hauling themselves towards her with powerful limbs, closing the gap between them one stride at a time, yet she felt paralyzed in every limb, fearing the worst as she tensed her body.

But the tackle never came.

She awoke, startled, to the sounds of frogs and crickets elsewhere in the territory. Above her next stood Starlingpaw, who looked at her with a complicated expression and uneasy stance.

"Uh... you were making noises in your sleep." The dark-furred apprentice stepped back a bit to allow Newtpaw to stand up and stretch herself. "I thought I'd wake you up, since it's almost dusk..."

Newtpaw gave the older apprentice an appreciative smile; as awkward as he was, she was grateful for the wake-up call. "Thanks. I think Roachnose will want me up sooner rather than later."

Starlingpaw said nothing as the tortie she-cat brushed past the bramble opening, into the open camp.

Roachnose could be seen sitting near the freshkill-pile casually sniffing about before choosing a small mouse to eat before Newtpaw was able to run up to them. They gave a casual glance to the apprentice and blinked in greeting while the smaller cat sat down next to them, assuming a cautious, leaned-forward position.

Pausing from their meal, Roachnose looked to Newtpaw with a bright expression. "So you're looking forward to your first training session, right?"

The tortie couldn't stop herself from shaking around a bit excitedly. "Yeah!" She sneezed lightly as a leaf brushed past her nose in the chill evening breeze, but this didn't stop her enthusiastic behavior. "What are we gonna do today?"

The large gray they-cat chuckled in an amused way. "Eat something and meet me over by the entrance. I'm having Ivytail accompany us so that we can have a proper dusk patrol. And after that..." They stopped to yawn a bit before continuing. "After that you can rest for a bit. We'll do some more training at dawn... probably tracking, since that's what I know most."

Newtpaw gave the older cat an overjoyed expression, jumping up at the concept of exploring the borders. "I can't wait!" she meowed, tail swaying behind her. "I hope we get to see some GlenClan cats when we're out there."

"I don't, really." Roachnose shook their head. "I know there's peaceful times right now, but I don't want either of us - especially Ivytail - to overstep any personal boundaries. But who knows; eat something and catch us by the entrance before we leave." With a wink, they wandered over to the entrance, which was marked by bushes next to the ridge's curve. The eyes of Ivytail could be seen much easier than the cat herself, with her dark tabby stripes that blended easily into the late night shadows.

Shivering with new-found motivation, Newtpaw scarfed down some sort of bird (she didn't know the name) before bounding over.

Her first real departure from camp overwhelmed her, and her first steps were paused as she stopped to listen to the cadence of the nightlife around her. It wasn't the same as in the camp, where she couldn't fully experience it... not like this, where she could feel the chill night breeze brush past her mottled fur, and stretch her paws on the grass-patched ground.

She felt she'd never get tired of it.

The two warriors waited for Newtpaw to stop boggling at the world, and soon enough, the apprentice started sprinting forward with enthusiasm to catch up.

As she bounded up to her mentor and their accompanying guest, she could see the shaded woods ahead of her nearly endlessly, seemingly surrounding her and her older Clanmates in a protective fashion. The thought of trees doting on the Clan like mothers made her snicker a little, causing Roachnose to look back at the young she-cat with a curious expression.

Shaking her head a bit to clear out the silly thought (and, if she were honest, it was _pretty _funny), Newtpaw's eyes squinted forward into the lightened darkness, her feline sight a true help after dusk. She could see bird's nests stuffed between the reaching branches above, leaves swaying in the gentle night-time breeze, and she could hear the hoot of an owl in the distance. Roachnose's ears twitched lightly, as they had heard the sound as well.

"That's an owl." Roachnose remarked, glancing back at Newtpaw, who was trailing not far behind them as they approached the border. "They're dangerous, with talons sharp enough to rip your legs apart and a beak that could easily remove your nose. Be careful around them."

Sniffling her nose a little, Newtpaw glanced back towards the hoot with a curious, if a little fearful, look, but only lingered a moment before padding after her mentor and their guest.

Within a short amount of time, the small patrol finally made their way to the border, which marked itself with sparser trees and an open field. Moving around the older cat, Newtpaw stared straight out over the open fields, which dipped slightly as the grass went farther out. Tail quivering, she almost felt like running out there, in the swaying sea, but an ear-flick from Roachnose kept her in line.

Craning her neck, Ivytail looked out over the grasslands, squinting a bit. "I think I see... a white-furred cat, with a smaller, ginger-pelted apprentice."

Looking at the she-cat curiously, Roachnose looked out as well, their ears perked forward in a focused manner. "Hm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was Heatherpaw and her mentor, Chervil-leaf."

Newtpaw got nervous at the mention of Chervil-leaf; she had limited knowledge of the cats in GlenClan, but she knew a -leaf cat was a guaranteed medicine cat, and if they had their apprentice with them... well, something was probably happening. Something important.

The remark earned a snort from Ivytail, however. "Nah, that wouldn't be plausible. Probably Snownose and a smaller warrior." She looked to Roachnose, bowing her head a little. "But that's my own _non-tracker _opinion, oh great and mighty tracker."

Newtpaw wasn't sure if that was humor, but Roachnose seemed to get a chuckle about it before responding. "Well, then, let's get back to our patrol, shall we?" Waiting for neither of the two, she continued along the tree-line, staring ahead as Newtpaw and Ivytail caught up.

They settled, for a moment, at a boulder, whose smooth, monotone surface was covered slightly with claw-marks; Roachnose pawed at it lightly before turning to Newtpaw.

"This is where we usually take cats who need to go back to their Clan," they started, "but these marks are new. I'm not sure who made them, but I doubt it's someone who uses their claws a lot." They shook their head at the large rock. "It could just be someone from our Clan passing by to stretch their claws, I guess, but it might be a good idea to sniff around."

Newtpaw bounced up at this suggestion. "Does that mean we're gonna train?" she asked, eyes widening at the thought; she had really wanted to train, but she was sure it'd be later, not sooner!

"Absolutely. Sniff around the rock and tell me what... or who... you might smell." Backing away, Roachnose seated themself at the base of an older birch tree, its branches reaching up towards the darkened sky.

Taking this as an opportunity to master tracking, the tortie apprentice sniffed around the marked boulder, her nose pressing up against the base for a moment to gather scents. She could tell that there had been some sort of creature around, a prey-beast, but she wasn't sure what sort, as she hadn't been taught the scents of prey yet.

Padding around the rock, she looked back towards her mentor in a discouraged fashion. "Hey, Roachnose, what am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Use your eyes as well as your nose," they replied, scratching a bit at their gray, shaggy fur. "Look for loose fur, pawprints in the dirt, or disturbed leaves. Anything that doesn't look like it belongs."

Eyeing the boulder once more, Newtpaw kept low to the ground, eyes scanning the dirt for pawprints. Small markings could be seen in the earth, possibly from the prey she'd scented before, but she couldn't spot anything wrong in the dirt itself.

However, staring up towards the underbrush, she spotted something; ginger fur had tangled in one of the branches of a bush, but it was only a small fragment. It was impossible to tell whether it was longer or shorter fur, seeing as the sample was very minimal, but as she leaned forward to scent it, she spotted something else.

The brush had given way to a small creature, about the size of another cat, and branches had been bent back enough to give them a slight forward-bend. She couldnt' see much, but Newtpaw could definitely see some of the leaf-litter scattered about, barely notable at a first glance.

Opening her mouth to call out to her mentor, she paused; she wanted to know who this fur belonged to before calling her mentor over, and if it were a GlenClan cat, she'd be able to tell the scent apart from her own.

A sniff at the ginger fur sent a confused feeling through her legs, making her pace in place for a brief moment at the realization. This was fur from her brother, Maplepaw!

Turning back and circling around the boulder, she leapt forward to where her mentor had perched themself. "Roachnose! I found some fur, and some leaves brushed away a little, but it smells like my brother was here!"

Getting up from their previous sitting position, Roachnose walked forward, following the apprentice to the tuft of fur and upset earth, giving it a casual sniff before leaning back casually.

Ivytail, who had followed after Roachnose, gave the fur a sniff as well before stepping back with a displeased frown on her features. "It's just your brother and his mentor," she meowed. "Probably some herbs 'round here that Robincloud wants to show him, somethin' like that." She bowed her head, crestfallen. "I was hoping for some action..."

Roachnose squinted at Ivytail in an irritated fashion, but turned back to their apprentice with a new, brighter look to their face. "I'm glad you were able to see the fur tuft, even if it wasn't all that important," she said, leaning down to push her nose against the apprentice's shoulder. "You can ask Maplepaw about it later, right?"

There was a flicker of doubt as Newtpaw nodded in response. She wondered if he would be too busy to grant her a conversation.

This thought drifted about her mind as they continued rounding their patrol-path along the border and around to the northern part of the territory, which became sparser forest, with oak trees placed about. The creek, which unified itself near the border itself, split in two as each branch originated northward. During the day birds would probably be at home here, away from the hustle and bustle of the Clan's central territory while most of the cats slept.

Roachnose glanced towards the river warily as Ivytail went forward to mark the territory. Newtpaw was intrigued by this section of the territory; it was so different from the rest of the Clan's home, with more oak than birch trees, but she supposed that it was good to have variety, or else the patrollers would be easily bored.

Roachnose found this funny when the apprentice decided to share this thought, but Ivytail rolled her eyes.

There was nothing suspicious among the northern border, thankfully, though Newtpaw imagined that she could see things in the shadows... prey, rogues, badgers... or other sorts of creatures that dwell in uncertain places. Shaking off the thought, the tortie followed the patrol back to camp, where the Clan was still buzzing with activity.


	6. Chapter 4 - A Gloomy Gathering

The patrol, tightly knit as they made their way across the mossy camp-site, paused by the leader's den . The small, paw-dug hole by the Highstone was nestled underneath the speaking-rock, safely tucking away any cats hiding within. As the trio approached, Newtpaw could hear voices from the depths of the den and swiveled her ears forward, hoping to catch bits and pieces of the conversation.

"I'm telling you what I saw and nothing more. You can always disregard it."

"If only it were so simple." Asphodelstar's scathing remark could be heard; although the tortie apprentice knew it was impolite to listen in, she couldn't help herself as she perked her ears and shuffled closer.

"What Maplepaw saw and what I saw were the same. How irrefutable would you consider it?" Ears twitching at the mention of her brother, Newtpaw was certain that the voice belonged to Robincloud, her quiet, soft voice doing less to soothe the leader than it would a patient at any rate.

"I can't just... Oh, one moment." Asphodelstar's face appeared at the den's entrance shortly, staring about at the small patrol. "Oh, you're back. Good hunting to the three of you. Was anything amiss when you checked around?"

Roachnose stepped up to speak. "Nothing of importance. Some scattered fur from the young one's sibling, but we're sure it was just Maplepaw and Robincloud doing some herb gathering."

Asphodelstar muttered under something unintelligible under his breath, but paused only for a moment before replying proper. "Alright. Thank you, then. I'll have the moonhigh patrol organized after I wrap up this bit of business, but it shouldn't be long. Tell Russet-tail to come and speak to me at quarter-moon, if you could."

Roachnose gave a curt nod as Asphodelstar turned and continued his conversation, out of Newtpaw's range of hearing. This was disappointing, but she'd rather not get caught listening in to something she shouldn't be... even if the news concerned her brother.

Her first act, now that she was free to leave (with a dismissal nod from Roachnose), would be to track Maplepaw down. Predictably, as she padded up to the medicine cat's den, her brother's tail could be seen poking out from within the old, rotted stump, twitching a little. She took the moment to pounce on it, lightly. "Hey!"

"Ah!" The tom jumped in surprise and looked back with a nervous look, obviously shaken. "Oh, it's just you."

"Just me, huh?" Newtpaw snickered. "I'm sure you wouldn't address the leader that way."

"O-of course not." Maplepaw's tail tucked around his paws as he seated himself to face his sister. "Sorry."

Newtpaw walked forward and headbutted her brother in the chest good-naturedly. "Don't worry about it. I came over to check on you, you know." She backed up to look him in the eyes. "How's your first day been? Learning the cool secrets of the medicine den?"

Maplepaw's eyes darted elsewhere. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbled. "Uh... nothing really hard. We're just..." He paused, thinking about something. "She's teaching me how to properly dress wounds. She had me chew up some old leaves and put it on my foreleg so she could show me how to get the poultice wrapped up..."

"That's not too bad!" purred Newtpaw, happy to hear her brother's progress. "But I thought I smelled your scent near the border. Your fur was there, too - what was going on over there?"

Maplepaw looked tense as she said this. "We, uh... before we started, she had me trek out here to learn where the borage grows, or an herb that sounded like that, I think. It wasn't far from the boulder thataways."

"Ah, right. I remember." Newtpaw nodded knowingly. "Just curious. Roachnose was all worried about it, but I didn't think you'd be turning tail so soon after graduating!" Smiling, she leaned forward and rubbed her cheek against the side of his neck affectionately. "I'm glad it hasn't been too bad for you, though. Keep me updated?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, eyes locked on something behind Newtpaw. His eyes took on some complex emotion - looking back, she saw Robincloud approaching, and she wondered what would tense him up so.

"No promises," he continued, in a quieter voice. "Sorry. You should go now."

"Maplepaw, how's the herb practice going along?" Robincloud trotted up with a peaceful expression. She smiled kindly to the tortie apprentice as she came to a stop outside of the den. "Oh, hello, Newtpaw. Come to see what we medicine cats are all about?"

"Just checking up on my brother. Never know if he'll get a nick in the ear or grass in his toes without checking up," she remarked, chuckling. "But I should probably go and leave you two to your stuff."

"Alright. Take care, Newtpaw." Robincloud bowed her head. Maplepaw didn't look at Newtpaw as she turned to leave.

As she padded away, the young apprentice wondered over the night's events. First the tuft of fur, and now the timid nature of her brother had escalated. She couldn't even begin to guess what he was acting so weird about, but she supposed he'd calm down after he'd settled into his position.

A moon had passed. Newtpaw's training hadn't focused much on battling as of yet. Most of her training was in regards to tracking, and how to hide oneself in the forest. Ivytail's assistance was searched for once more in order to give the tortie apprentice a better idea on how to grasp the tree's branches and gain leverage to climb higher than before. It had always been a dream of hers to learn how to climb as high as Ivytail had. She hoped someday she would.

A moon of growth isn't much for a seasoned warrior, but for a young apprentice it represents a great deal of change. Newtpaw's fur became thicker and warmer, and her tail grew soft and longer-furred, as did the rest of her body. She felt more sure of her steps, and she felt as though she had boundless energy to spend. Her brother had grown a stockier body than she, reminiscent of their father, though his fur was as long as Newtpaw's at that point.

It worried her how little insight she had into her brother's life now, as he had closed himself off to all but Robincloud, but she shrugged it off and assumed it was part of the medicine cat's way and that he would talk to her soon enough.

A dreary evening came about the camp, with clouds rolling in from the south and causing the temperature to become crisp and cool. It was the night of the Gathering, but Asphodelstar had doubts about going to the Gathering this night.

"We won't be able to guess whether our ancestors are pleased with our meeting, or whether something might happen and we won't have guidance on our decisions," he had said to Russet-tail one night.

Robincloud managed to convince him that, if the decision were a heavily important one, StarClan would clear the clouds at a chance time and reveal their decision. This comforted the old leader somewhat, but Newtpaw could tell from his tense shoulders and perked ears that he wasn't wholly convinced.

"All cats old enough to catch prey, gather here beneath the Highstone for a Clan meeting." His weary voice rang out and many cats trickled in, a stream of felines from all around. Newtpaw made sure to seat herself close to Starlingpaw; Batpaw had become a bit more rude as of late, despite interference from older cats, going so far as to push her brother around regardless of the task. Newtpaw felt a little sorry for the tom, and often went out of her way to speak to him after such events.

Flicking his tail widely for silence, Asphodelstar started. "I'll be bringing the regular pawful-or-so of warriors with me tonight, under the light of the full moon, to the Gathering. Russet-tail will stay here to govern in my place. Robincloud and her apprentice shall accompany me, as well as Roachnose, Newtpaw, Moth-heart, and Foxwhisker. Meet me by the entrance and we will start on our journey."

Newtpaw's heart leapt in her chest. A Gathering! She was surprised he allowed her to go, but she supposed it would be less threatening to bring another apprentice than to take a skilled fighter or older warrior. She touched her nose to Batpaw's shoulder in a comforting fashion before skittering over to the entrance.

Asphodelstar's gaze settled on her briefly as he took note of who was here. Though the notice gave her a sense of admiration, she wondered why he seemed so drained of excitement. She followed the lead of the others as they started their way through the shaded woods, towards the rocky outcrop that marked the meeting-place for the two Clans.

She trotted eagerly beside her brother briefly in hopes of discussing things.

"Hiya, Maplepaw!" she meowed in a friendly manner. "Isn't this exciting? We both get to go to a Gathering! I wonder how many cats will be there."

"I don't really want to think about it," he admitted, dropping behind his mentor to speak in a quieter tone. "I'm going to meet the other medicine cat and their apprentice. I don't know them yet, but it makes me nervous."

"You worry too much," she replied, casual. "Medicine cats are always good, aren't they? I haven't met a bad one, anyhow. I'm more worried about who I'll have to talk to - so many new cats, and I don't know a single one of them."

Maplepaw grew silent at this and caught up with Robincloud.

Newtpaw was once told that the Gathering was an important event, and that moonlight always shone down on the cats that gathered. Clouds gathered in the sky and let out the occasional rumble-purr, casting down neutral light on the grassy, scattered-rock outcropping. Despite the dreary weather, she felt her paws tingle with energy as she skipped forward, ready to sniff out some-cat to speak to. The rest of the patrol dispersed around the rocky outcropping to speak to others, whilst Asphodelstar approached a lean, white-furred cat that seemed to be around the same age as him. Maplepaw and Robincloud passed by Newtpaw, walking towards another white cat (who seemed much younger) and an apprentice-aged light-ginger cat; she could only assume these were the other medicine cats as they huddled together. She wondered what they were speaking about as another cat approached you.

"Ah, a fresh smell. Hello to you."

Turning to look, Newtpaw was greeted with another white-furred cat. Although unfamiliar to her, she jumped up, grinning and looking up at the older cat with cheeriness. "Hello! Who are you?"

The older cat snickered. "I'm Lightcloud," she responded. "A warrior of GlenClan. Would I be right if I assumed you were a young BirchClan apprentice?"

"Yeah! That's me! I'm Newtpaw, nice to meet you." Newtpaw stretched her head forward to touch noses with the white-furred cat. "There's a lotta cats with white fur in your Clan," she remarked.

A sneeze of laughter from Lightcloud could be heard. "Ah, so I've been told by other cats," responded the warrior. "Well, you can't help how you come out, and I'd have to say that I haven't seen many mottled cats like you in my Clan. You seem familiar, though, for some reason." The cat hmm'd a bit before continuing. "Do you know of.. uh... StarClan curse it, what was that cat's name? Bramble.. Brambling..?"

"Bramblingcloud!" Newtpaw snapped to attention. "That's my mother!"

"Ah, I see." Lightcloud purred. "You're so similar in fur, but so different in personality. So excitable, so curious... Ah, what I'd give to be an apprentice again." She let out a wistful sigh.

Newtpaw opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a loud meow.

"The Gathering is starting, please gather!"

"Oh, that's our cue, dear." Lightfoot gave Newtpaw a courteous nod as she walked past. "Better go find a seat. Hope there's some good news..."

Newtpaw padded to the crowd again, hoping to sit next to her brother; she felt a pang of disappointment, as she saw him tightly surrounded by his mentor and the other medicine cats. Sitting near the edge of the crowd, she looked forward.

The white cat that Asphodelstar had spoken to at arrival stepped upon one of the larger stones, looking down at the gathered cats with a neutral, if tired, expression, akin to the one Asphodelstar held. "Good evening, cats of the Clans. I hope the stars have guided you peacefully this past moon."

Assorted agreements were passed around in hushed tones, quieting to let the cat speak again.

"We speak our news, as is custom, in the eyes of StarClan, whether the clouds hide their sight or not." The cat looked up, searching. "I hope they hear our news and approve of the current events."

Asphodelstar, off to the side, looked up as well - Newtpaw detected some emotion in the cat's face that she could not describe.

"Asphodelstar has kindly allowed me to speak first on the affairs of GlenClan." She dipped her head towards the other warrior. "We recently had one of our own join the nursery. We welcome Goldenfoot, the nervous one, among our treasured mothers."

A few cats whispered congratulations, and others simply smiled or bowed their heads.

"However, one of our elders, Sloefoot, was found in the eastern stream, dragged by the currents of change. We give thanks to StarClan for his life, and we give thanks to Sloefoot for his duties served in the Clan. He was a noble warrior."

Some cats called out, and one voice rose above the fray. "Who did this?"

The leader closed her eyes, unwilling to target the speaker. "We do not know. There was no scent, no sign of struggle, and our medicine cats did the best they could to organize his burial. We think that he went peacefully to the river, as we all dedicate ourselves to the waters of life, and returned himself to the stars. Regardless, we hope his journey to StarClan is peaceful. Now, if I may continue..."

Newtpaw felt a little uncomfortable with this news; some cat found in the river, drowned? An elder, no less. Questions formulated in her mind, many of which she noted to ask Roachnose later. The leader continued.

"We welcome Cloverpaw among our apprentices. We hope his mentor, Lightcloud, will teach him patience and understanding." More scattered cheering. "Other than that, no news from our Clan. I step back so that Asphodelstar may speak. Thank you, StarClan."

Asphodelstar stepped up, giving a grateful nod to the other leader. "Swanstar has guided her Clan wonderfully, I see - and I hope that Sloefoot is given a proper sendoff. We have lost no lives, thank StarClan, and we have two new apprentices, both of which are here tonight. The twins Maplepaw and Newtpaw have joined our ranks, and Maplepaw has been made Robincloud's apprentice. I can only hope her knowledge of herbs will be passed to him."

Newtpaw glanced over at Maplepaw, who seemed to be attempting to make himself as small as possible.

"Newtpaw has been given to Roachnose the tracker; we hope they will give her the insight and curiosity needed to keep our Clan safe and trust-filled." Newtpaw looked over at Roachnose, who gave themself a self-conscious chest-lick. Eyes stared at the tortie apprentice, and she felt a little nervous until the topic changed.

"That said, our warrior Bramblingcloud will be coming back to her warrior duties. We welcome her back to the active ranks, and thank her for her service as a mother."

Asphodelstar moved aside so Swanstar could also step up and speak. "The last moon has been peaceful, warriors!' she called out, confident. "No rogues, no predators, and no disease. We thank our ancestors for our good fortune, and out medicine cats for guiding us with such accuracy. We have what rogues and loners lack: faith. Rejoice, cats, for we are warriors!"

Cats called out in celebration, Newtpaw included. The sound of yowling could be heard some distance off, and the sound slowly quieted down as the Clan groups split and headed back to their homes once more.


End file.
